sunezBy SUNEZ [ #SkillastratorLO #PowerWrite ]
An overt omerta. Crimes against the richest of samples and the abandoned mics. Silence is for the worse in the Art and this Arawak spearheads the alibis of flyness. Returning the fools that use the record of sales and the cowards that expect the radio to play the Arts. Power write past the cowards plight and find the long players of the fellow faithful. SkillastratorLO, my love and loyalty chains heavy link justice scales to acquittals for classics, dismissals for the greats and mistrials for the ill wired in the court of raw. Listen to these confessions that complete the crimes that MI and Cutt had to commit…
Hardwork and dedication cushion the talents that haven’t even peaked yet for MC MI and producer DJ Cutt of Constant Deviants. From their last LP, Avante Garde to Omerta we now can hear refinements inside the breaks. Timing has arrived at precise moments, the arrangements of “GTFOH” pause, letting the drumrolls relaunch where the listener waits for the addictive snaps and MI’s words collect their cadence and reposition often inside his stories. Tales immersed in battle statements, metaphor characterization and declarations of principles that sum to Hip Hop.
Simplicity unfolded is the measure I’m often called to witness. The innate crispness that will fire the sharpest snare on “Make My Bones” is given opening credits with the crescendoed crash drums in the distance. Where the quickly fingered guitar loops a sinister essence and the words of Kool G Rap, the choice mafioso legend of all MCs, is immaculately cut through. MI’s tempos and inflections retain a subtle sarcasm and blend the lack of humanity in the Luciano character vessel chosen with integrity interspersed. The stories are basic wide frame shots that capture the listener as the constant deviancy accumulates. The choruses often moral the story to the heartless mentalities given logic through MI’s verses. “Sparks Steakhouse,” with its introspective piano strum and drum rolled procession drums tell the betrayals of men and asks every fighting hustler, “who’s food are you?” The grim reality leads to the saving grace for Constant Deviants’ musical mission statement, “never go broke when your fortune is hope.” And that hope is through the hell of the “Reign Storms,” a poignantly placed commentary on police brutality (“…tried to go vegan but offered me bacon/pigs prosecuting right in front of the fakest/mistaken identities/mother and her memories/pictures of her son as a baby/maybe the pain would just subside with justice/maybe the cops will just confess like Usher/burning down Baltimore, the pressure we under…). Even the expected anti-haters track as “Untitled” is done with the cleaver without the “A” wordplay (“exodus, excellent accelerant/and whatever you talking about is irrelevant”). MI, throughout makes wide ranging simile choices (i.e. “can’t touch me like a hoe at a peep show” on “Fuklinski” or the overload on “GTFOH“) but can battle without almost anyone (“We Up Tho“). MI, ultimately is a tough, grim MC voice that excels at a wide range, the mid-tempo, where diverse pacing is often overlooked. It’s here where his use of a general Hip Hop crime character metaphor his ideas superbly.
DJ CUTT, SUNEZ, DJ TOSHI, MI
Musically, Cutt can be rated with this same equality of judgment as these are beatworks that have no errors. It is a production of sharp crispness and sample loops and chops that progress the story into addiction. From the piano pacing the drums on “Plata O Plomo,” or the funky rocked guitar bassline that weaves through the live “I-95,” or the great cut choices of Pac, 50 and KRS on the chorus of “Delorean” or the film noir’d bassline and clean cracking one two drums on “So Underrated,” Omerta is an LP that is worthy of an accompanying instrumental release.
Now I’ve heard these men do this work and honor their deserved struggle in Hip Hop with answers and insight to their art. I also know the Black markets are filled with white fragility. Yet this Italiano Mic Conductor and this Russian Jew composing cuts have earned their arraignment. Every bar earning a sentence and every beat demanding a new trial. Each track charged to ignite the electrified ears in chairs. So Omerta must remain a continued silence on these pages toward the weak and wicked and keep indicting listens upon listens for Constant Deviants.
PARAGONE, DJ CUTT, SUNEZ, MI